Enigma on the Horizon
by Arlia
Summary: (Not really reinventing the wheel here) Venture into the Bermuda Triangle. (I don't know anything about Vampires, so please be kind on that aspect)...I hate doing summarys so... that'll about do it!
1. Objection and Flight

**__**

Enigma on the Horizon

A "Pirates of the Caribbean" Fan Fiction By

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Raven Usher

Part One. Objection & Flight

"I ain't got time fer yer rubbish! I ain't sellin' my ship. Not if hell were to freeze over."

"I think you'll find my proposition an interesting one. A lucrative one. It's possibly a suicidal one…"

"I know you're type!" the drunkard spat, reeling on his feet. "You're looking out to steal my ship! It ain't gonna happen!"

Joan pushed some of the stray strands of golden hair away from her face and straightened out her long, black coat that was very worn from use. "Sir, _stealing_ is such a foul word. I only wish to direct your ship. It's not the same thing as stealing. I'm making you an offer."

The man seized Joan's coat by the lapels. No one in the bar seemed to be paying them much heed. Brawls were the normal course of action. Even if it did involve a woman, another outlaw's problems was nothing to get involved in. He held Joan close to his face that glowed red from a cross between the large consumption of alcohol and his growing anger.

"Then I'm not talking yer offer, bitch! Find yerself anether ship! 'Cause you ain't usin' mine!"

"My good, sir," came a smooth voice from behind. "And the word 'sir' I use as loosely as possible."

"This doesn't concern you, Sparrow! This is between me and the lady!"

A man with a weathered complexion and dark eyes put his hand on the burly drunkard's shoulder. "_Captain_ Sparrow, my good man." Then he let out a short laugh. "Again, I use loose terminology. What fun we're having, eh?"

"I don't need your help," Joan grunted, wrenching herself out of the drunk man's grasp.

"See that?" replied the drunk. "We were having a conversation, jest me an' 'er." Here the man took a blade from a nearby table and held it dangerously close to the cornea of the other one. "Got it, Sparrow?"

The other took a step back, being a bit further from harm. He raised his callused hands to outline his words as he spoke. "I may be a pirate, my good man. And a bloody good one at that. But I'm still a very firm believer of chivalry."

"Chivalry's ded," the man spat, grabbing Joan by the throat and pulling her closer in order to make the dark eyed man back away. "Just like you should be, Sparrow."

"Two things," Sparrow started, clearly not phased, though looking up at the knife carefully. "I am in fact _Captain_ Jack Sparrow. And it is quite apparent that chivalry is not dead, as I am still alive."

It took only the blink of an eye for Joan to reach for a pistol, hidden by her long coat, and hold it beneath Sparrow's chin. "I'll take care of this, don't worry about it, _Captain._"

Sparrow smirked, barely able to stifle a laugh. The only situation he saw her in control of was, well, himself, of course then, he meant her no harm. That would be the bumbling, drunken, moron who had her by the throat.

"Miss, maybe you should be concentrating on the man trying to choke you to death," the Captain said, trying not to sound as patronizing as he would have, had there not been a gun beneath his chin.

"Oh trust me," Joan said with a playful smirk. "It's all in hand."

Before either of the two men had time to come up with a reply or further comment, the young woman had freed herself, tearing the man's hand from her throat, and upturning his wrist. What came next made even Sparrow feel a bit uneasy, and sure anyone else (had they been paying attention. The young woman sank what appeared to be _fangs_ in to the wrist that had held her throat. The man's screams were rattling in the ears of all those who were near. His blood was seeping down over his arm.

Joan raised her head and pushed the man back into a table, writhing in agony. She looked back at Sparrow, a devilish smile playing on her face. She licked the remaining blood with her tongue, her eyes illuminating.

"That's interesting," Sparrow muttered, stumbling backwards in awe.

"Perhaps I'll talk to you later," she said with an untraceable accent. "The sun's coming up."

With that Joan stepped up on a table, launching herself through the thinly paned window, glass shattering about her shoulders. There was silence for a brief moment while the entire tavern was focused on the window that had once been. Then the usual murmuring and slurred speech commenced. While Captain Jack Sparrow stood alone, smiling to himself.


	2. Old Friends

~* Muchos Gracias to my reviewer. I knew there were a lot of different things about vampires. (They're different in so many places… Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the Anne Rice Novels, classic movies, legends, books… ) But the extra insight was very much appreciated. J ~*

Part Two. Old Friends

"So… how long have you and Will known each other, Miss…"

"Villefort, Rhiannon Villefort" replied the dark-haired woman, seated in the arm chair. "I've known will for as long as I can remember, Miss Swann."

Elizabeth stepped into the living area of the small apartment herself and Will had come to call home in Tortuga. They had been traveling from place to place and had found themselves here. Not Elizabeth's favorite place, but it would do for now.

"Funny… he's never mentioned you…. May I offer you something to drink?" she added quickly.

The woman laughed a bit, crossing her legs as she sat back in the chair. "No thank you, I'm just fine." The room fell into silence as Elizabeth seated herself in the second armchair. After a while of neither woman speaking, Rhiannon sat a bit further up in her chair, her voice no longer sounding so cheerful and carefree.

"So, how long have _you_ and Will been… together?" Rhiannon asked.

Elizabeth's face brightened to think of it. "Not long actually, but it's like living in a fairy-tale! I pity the poor soul that may try and come between us…"

Rhiannon nodded unenthusiastically. "How nice," she murmured.

At the sound of a lock turning in the door, Elizabeth sat erect in her chair, smiling broadly. Will Turner stepped into the room, locking the door behind him as he entered, preventing him from seeing the guest. Elizabeth leapt up and threw her arms around him from behind. Will laughed, kissing the back of her soft hand.

"Ah, hello my sweetest love!" he said, turning to smile at her, but his eyes turned quizzical as he looked at the dark-haired woman in the armchair. "And who do we have here?"

"Will… do you know a Rhiannon Villefort?" Elizabeth asked slowly.

"Know her!?" Will exclaimed, his eyes lighting up. "Damn me to hell, I know her!" He laughed running over to Rhiannon and helping her out of the chair. "I can't believe it's you! How long has it been."

"Long…" Rhiannon said with a smile. 

"I can see you've grown much more lady-like," Will commented with a laugh.

Elizabeth cast another look over Rhiannon, her eyebrow arching slightly. Rhiannon did not appear to be lady-like at all. She wore men's clothes and dusty traveling boots that were caked in mud. At her side was a pistol, which Elizabeth had not bothered to ask about. Though, it didn't take a second glance to notice that she wasn't what she dressed as. Elizabeth imagined that by being more lady-like she must have shaved a beard, but that did not seem too likely.

Will threw his arms around Rhiannon, which she returned rather slowly. "Er… she doesn't mind… does she?" she asked, nodding towards Elizabeth, who was standing to the side, looking a put off.

He drew out of his embrace with Rhiannon and couldn't help but laugh again. "Elizabeth? No, of course not! Elizabeth isn't one for jealousy! Elizabeth!" Will cried, as if it were necessary to catch her attention further. "This is my dear friend Rhiannon Villefort. One of the finest in fencing I've ever met."

"That's odd," Elizabeth said, her eyes casting another searching look over the other woman. "For the fine fencer Will claims you to be, I see no sword…"

"Well, that's partly what I came to see you about," Rhiannon said, turning to Will. "I lost my sword in a bit of a scuffle…"

"You're lucky you didn't lose more," Will said seriously. "This isn't the friendliest place in the Caribbean."

"I know full well the dangers of Tortuga… which was why I was surprised to learn you were here."

"Well, I guess you could say we were looking to catch up with an old friend," Will replied. "So what is it you want from me, Rhiannon?"

"Last I saw you, you were training to be a blacksmith…" Even as she spoke, Will wore a look that grew steadily more and more and uncomfortable, making Rhiannon simply feel desperate, which came out through the tone of her voice. "And I thought that maybe you could be of some help, in the situation that you had become a decent enough blacksmith."

"Rhiannon… I haven't done any work as a blacksmith for at least a year now," Will said slowly. "And… needless to say, I'm not quite as good as I was."

"But you can still help me?" Rhiannon pleaded. 

"I know someone. She's damn good at what she does. Almour Dalman. Better than I could have ever been."

"Will… no," Elizabeth started in a protesting manner. "I don't think it's a good idea…."

"Well, why not?" he demanded.

"We don't have time for this," she said, lowering her voice, though Rhiannon could hear her quite clearly. "It's getting dark… You don't want to be out there at night…"

"Elizabeth, we have all the time in the world," Will stated finally. Then he turned to Rhiannon with a happier light on his face. "Come on, if we're lucky we can make it there before night. Elizabeth, are you coming?"

"I'll stay here thanks," she responded dully, as Rhiannon and Will went towards the door.

Will simply shrugged. "Just be careful."

(~*~)

"Where have you been, Rhiannon?" 

"Where have I been?" she repeated the question as they walked down the streets of Tortuga, pulling down the hat on her head, casting most of her face into shadows.

"Yes, where did you go all those years ago. It was like you just up and disappeared."

"Well, from the stories I've heard about you, we've fallen into the same crowd."

Will took a moment to think about what she meant, then it all came clear. He was kicking himself how he hadn't realized it before. "You ran off to be a pirate at fifteen!?!" Will exclaimed in an incredulous manner.

"Shhhh!" Rhiannon held her index finger to her lips. "Not so loud! We don't need all of Tortuga looking over here!"

Will turned to Rhiannon and did his best to lower his voice. "You told me your cousin was dying and you had to go to her! Was piracy your dying cousin!??!" he hissed, still in a state of disbelief.

"I've heard stories about you too, Will!" Rhiannon snapped. "And from the sounds of them, you've had a bit of a run in with the Black Pearl of all ships. Don't preach to me about going off to be a pirate, Will! You're nothing short of one yourself."

He didn't bother to return, for he knew it was true. _That was a long time ago, _his mind argued. But with another look at Rhiannon he reminded himself. It didn't seem to matter how much time passed, people don't really change.


	3. The Wrong Side of the Sword

Part Three. The Wrong Side of the Sword

"Sparrow! On yer feet!" 

Jack Sparrow started out of a deep sleep, his hand still clutching the neck of a rum bottle. He had a few seconds for his eyes to dart about wildly before being grabbed roughly by his arms and pulled to his feet, coming within an inch of the face of the familiar face of the drunkard from the other night.

"I see you're doing alright, a bit paler then when I left you though," Jack commented, with a slight smirk on his face. One of the two men holding him twisted his arm to shut his mouth.

"Who was that girl?" demanded the man. "You had something to do with it, I'm not as stupid as I look."

"Really, you had me fooled," he replied, still with the smirk.

"Who was that girl!?" repeated the man, spitting on Jack's boots. "And I'm not in any mood for your cheeky answers."

Jack looked down at his boots, his face pit falling into despair. "And I just had these cleaned!" he groaned. "You know how hard it is to find time for this sort of thing!"

"You git one last chance, Sparrow! Who's the girl!?"

"Now, I'm going to be perfectly honest with you now, mate," Jack said, his voice taking on a slightly more serious tone. "Even if I knew the girl, I wouldn't tell you. She seemed like such a lovely person, anyway, I wouldn't want you to hurt her."

"He had his chance!" growled the man, holding Jack's right arm. 

"Let's just kill him, already! We were gonna do it anyway!" agreed the other one.

"Yes, that's all very nice," Jack said. "But I really ought to be on my way, I've got a ship and… and a crew waiting for me… I… I _am_ the Captain…" Jack's voice trailed off as none of the other men seemed not to care much for his duties as a Captain.

The man from the other night took a pistol from his belt, his wrist heavily bandaged. He pressed it between Jack's eyes. "You can't tell me where the girl is… You're of no use to me. You'll be better off dead, Sparrow."

Jack crossed his eyes to follow the pistol to where it had rested. "Or _am_ I of use to you?"

"You said you didn't know the girl!" the man hissed, losing his patience.

"Well, how can you trust what I say?" Jack said. "After all, I'm a pirate. How good can my word possibly be? So maybe I do know the girl. I just don't want to tell, for say I'm, madly in love with her. Even if I told you I did know her, I could just be lying to save my own skin and get my ship out of Tortuga as fast as I can. So the question you gentlemen have to ask yourselves, is: What kind of man _is_ Captain Jack Sparrow? Is he the kind of man that'll do anything to save the woman he loves. Or is he the kind of man would leave her to be killed by the likes of you. But then you always have to remind yourselves, you don't know anything about Captain Jack Sparrow, now do you?"

The man holding the gun blinked, his fingers loosening slightly on the gun. "Well… I suppose… Well, it's obvious… What did you say again?"

Jack smiled devilishly, the faint light catching his gold tooth. Moving quickly, Jack wrenched himself free of the two men, and got his head out of the way just in time to avoid a hurtling bullet. Jack didn't bother to stay and fight. _The man who lives and runs away, lives to run another day_, he thought, tearing out of the barn he had dozed off in earlier that day. 

"Well, what are you waiting for?! Go after him!!"

(~*~)

Joan sat propped up against the dirt wall, her knees arching under her dark skirt. She peered around in the darkness of her hiding spot. She'd give night another half hour or so to come. Between her forefinger and thumb she cleaned the dirt from the small crevices of the pendant. Despite the incredibly faint light, the pendant still managed to gleam brilliantly. Joan sighed, running her finger around the rim of the shape of a crescent moon.

Joan felt very confident that Tortuga would be the place to deliver her someone worldly enough to know of the great fortune it could bring. But someone who didn't know the horrors it could unleash. Joan ran her tongue over one of her fangs, thinking deeply to herself about the opportunities. And if she was lucky… the chaos. She grinned in the dim light. All she needed now was a ship.

"Tonight's another night," she said softly to herself. "Soon… soon enough."

(~*~)

Jack dashed through the streets of Tortuga, hoping to loose the men as the Caribbean sun began to sink behind the horizon. _The outskirts… It's not as crowded… They won't suspect to look for me there… Right?_ _Hmm. Not exactly one of my more full proof plans._ Jack threw a look over his shoulder as a gunshot went off.

"You can't loose us that easy! You're a dead man Sparrow!"

Now Jack was fast, he was the fastest person he knew, but the man didn't seem to be lying when he promised not to let Jack go. Maybe the more crowded streets would have been easier to hide. But at least this way no one could say they had seen him go this way or that. As the streets and buildings began to thin out, the trees became thicker, the ground beneath his feet softer and turned to dirt. 

Though, a bit unfortunately, the effects of the rum had not entirely worn off on Jack. Had he been a bit more sober, he wouldn't have missed the final step on the natural staircase. But he did. With that misstep, Jack fell face first into the dirt, giving his pursuers just enough time to catch up with him. Jack scrambled up on his feet, just out of reach of the three men, backing slowly away.

"We're all gentlemen here," Jack said, but his smirk seemed unsure. "Maybe we could settle it over a nice bottle of rum… or two?"

"End of the line, Jack," said the man with the bandaged wrist. He raised the pistol and cocked back the hammer, advancing with every backwards step Jack took backwards.

Jack closed his eyes, dreading what was inevitably to come next. Though, he hadn't expected it. With his last step he had hit some sort of low wall and he lost his balance. At that same moment, the pistol went off. Just as the bullet left it's chamber, Jack's body pitched backwards and fell down into blackness.


	4. Almour

(~*~) Sorry for the shortness of this part. 

"Brevity is the soul of wit." or something like that.

Part Four. 

"Almour?"

The hinges on the door to the blacksmith shop creaked open as Will slowly pushed it open. The floor was covered in dust and scrap metal. Night was descending as they made their way into the blacksmith's shop. Rhiannon followed Will closely, her eyes squinting through the darkness. The place looked as though it had long since been abandoned, all save the furnace that was raging on. 

"Are you sure she's here?" Rhiannon asked.

"Positive," Will replied.

" 'Ello, dearies!"

Rhiannon jumped into Will, startled by the voice behind her. Both fell to the floor, dust rising up above them where they had fallen. He looked back into her eyes, smiling a bit. Rhiannon couldn't help but smile back, forgetting about the voice for a split second.

"I think Elizabeth would be jealous…" said the same person in a sing song voice.

"Oh… uh, right," Will said, getting up a bit hastily, but not forgetting to help Rhiannon up on her feet. "Rhiannon, this is my friend, Almour Dalman."

"Pleasure to meet you," Almour said, hiding out her hand to shake.

Rhiannon took her hand and smiled, surveying Almour. She had shorter golden hair, with brilliant eyes looking out from behind some musty spectacles. She wore a dark, patched skirt that fell half way between her knees and her ankles. She wore a coarse, long sleeved shirt. But somehow there was something charismatic about her. There was something different that her clothing couldn't hold down.

"Er, nice to meet you," Rhiannon responded dumbly. 

Almour grinned broadly, then turned to Will. "So what can I do for you today, good sir?"

"My friend here needs a sword," Will said. "I can pay you…"

Almour waved her hand wildly in dismissal. "No, no, no. Always happy to do a favor for a friend of a friend." She crossed the room, thoughtfully picking up the hammer. "Besides… I don't think I'll be staying in Tortuga for too much longer."

Will watched her quizzically for a moment. "Why's that?"

Almour stopped her work to look up at Will. She wore a look of serious nature, her eyes glinting behind her glasses as she spoke. "Something's not right…" she murmured. "Something in the wind…" She lowered her head to get back to work, as if coming out of a daze. "I don't know what it is. Something's changing, and I can't say what it is."

Will furrowed his brow in concern, his dark hair outlining his features. "Bad enough to make _you _live Tortuga?"

"Well, if something bad _is_ going to happen… Look, I wouldn't want to be in Tortuga on Judgment Day. Rather be somewhere a bit more, wholesome. You know what I mean," she replied, not raising her eyes.

Rhiannon opened one of the windows, letting the faint light of twilight fall into the room. She rested upon the sill of the window, gazing out of the distant lights of the more crowded parts of Totuga near the dock. Rhiannon inhaled sharply at the sound of a gun going off in the distance. She was used to this by now. A couple of minutes later she saw several figures tear past the window as fast as they could run.

"Alright, Rhiannon?" 

Rhiannon looked over her shoulder as Will leaned against the wall nearby. Rhiannon bit her tongue for a few moments, thinking to herself for a while.

"Your friend… Almour… Does she get those feelings… often?" 

"Bad feelings, no. But she's usually right about them."

Rhiannon shuddered, making her brown hair falling down into her face. Will looked at her and smiled warmly, placing his arm across her shoulders in a comforting manner. He knew why she had shuddered. And it wasn't because a Caribbean night was particularly chilly.


	5. Crossing Paths

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Part Five. Crossing Paths

"Well, look what we have here…" Joan murmured to herself upon seeing the still form of the dark eyed man from the tavern.

She knelt down next to the man, thinking how convenient for her that someone should fall into her lap when the night was so young. She paused before moving further, seeing that he was not dead as his chest still rose steadily. Joan fidgeted with the thin chain around her neck as the man started to stir. 

"Ah… where am I?" 

"The bottom of a well," Joan said softly.

The man's eyes widened when he saw her and tried to back away quickly, but he had apparently struck his head in such a way that prevented him to move far without causing himself pain. "You! Get away from me!" he groaned. 

"Hardly," Joan stated. "You fell down here. You're in my territory now… What was your name again… Sparrow?"

"Jack Sparrow," he replied, raising his hand to his temple.

Joan looked at his dark hair and weathered face that was stained with dried blood. She followed it to where it had originated. She reached out her hand to inspect it closer, but he grabbed her wrist to stop her.

"Uh-uh, missy, I don't trust you."

"What happened?" she asked earnestly.

"That be none of your business," Jack grunted irritably, trying to force her hand away. But he stopped short upon seeing a pendant that hung down from a thin chain. His eyes widened again, looking over the symbols that traced over a crescent moon. "Is that… I've only heard of it…"

"Oh, this?" Joan took a moment to glance down at the silver pendant. Then she looked back at him and smirked. "Well, I guess you could call it a living legend."

"… The Sign of the Zodiac."

"Yes, that's right. And don't worry, Mr. Sparrow, you don't have to relate the stories to me. I've heard them all. I know exactly what it's for."

"Then… then why aren't you richer than God himself?" Jack spluttered, forgetting the pain in his head for the time being.

"Well, it's rather difficult for me. I can't very well afford my own ship, and no one seems to be willing to trust me… I can't very well swim there," she sighed, looking up at the dark sky above her that seemed so far away. "But I'm still having a hard time grasping how you found your way down here."

"Oh," Jack smiled a bit. "Remember your friend from the bar?"

Joan laughed. "Chased you, did he? Yeah… I know his type."

"Listen, I have an interesting proposition for you," he started, being more business man than pirate for the time being. "I've got myself a ship. Fastest in the Caribbean. How 'bout… you don't bite into me like a melon the way you did our friend from last night. And I'll give you passage to the Bounty of Zodiac."

"Well, I _am_ thirsty for blood at the moment," she replied, her voice having a contemplating tone to it that made him uneasy. "But I suppose this would be a once in a lifetime chance… I've been looking for someone for _years_ to take this on."

Jack grinned, his eyes glinting. "Well, you haven't met many Captains like Jack Sparrow, now have you, m'dear?" Suddenly, the pain in the back of his head and the place where the bullet had grazed his head came back. 

Joan saw the pain reenter his eyes and felt something for him she hadn't for a long time. A pang of compassion. She stood up and turned back to the small archway that stood about half her height at the bottom of the abandoned well. 

"Come on, this way," Joan commanded, jerking her head towards the archway.

Jack turned himself over and stood up a bit shakily. He followed Joan through the archway that led to a ladder that led upwards. He stopped to hold his head, as Joan had already begun to climb the ladder. The space wasn't large. Only about six by six feet, but seemed to serve for some sort of lair for his newfound friend.

He finally began to climb after Joan, his head still throbbing painfully. Now and then he would be forced to stop it would become so great, but he moved on as steadily as he could. By the time they had found their way above ground, the Caribbean had been sufficiently cloaked in night.

"Well, I'll show you to my ship, and then we'll be setting off as soon as possible," Jack said, his eyes darting cautiously about him, his hand gripping the hilt of his sword. "No need to stay here more than we need to…. Oh, good God!"

"God, eh? Better stay where you're better acquai- Whoa!"

Jack grabbed Joan and pulled her into a nearby alleyway at the sound of approaching footsteps. Joan looked at him questioningly, but his eyes were wide as he listened. The three men from before were stalking past, muttering angrily to each other. Joan surveyed Jack's face which was a cross between irritation and pain. His dark eyes always seemed busy.

"We can get to the docks this way," Jack muttered, grabbing her arm, and pulling her down the alley.

Joan couldn't help but laugh. "Is the great Jack Sparrow afraid of a couple of pirates?"

"I'm not afraid," Jack snapped, moving further down the alley. "But they're looking for you, and I rather not run into trouble at the moment."

"Sparrow!"

"Ah, Jesus Christ!" he exclaimed as if exhausted. "What is it with these people! They're like bloodhounds! C'mon, luv. Better run faster than that, I'm not interested in having a second run in with these blokes."

Finding a door that stood slightly ajar, Jack pulled Joan in after him and slammed it closed, just in time to hear another gunshot go off. Joan fidgeted through the semi-darkness to find the locks to the door.

"What is it with people always trying to shoot me!" Jack muttered angrily. He spun around to find another exit, and was needless to say, quite surprised at what he found. "Not _more_ guns."

"Jack?!"

"Will? Is that you?"

Stepping out from where he couldn't be seen was none other than Will Turner. He smiled broadly, then turned to the woman holding the pistol. "It's alright, Rhiannon. He's a friend. You can put it away."

"Yes, please do, luv," Jack said, smiling a bit.

The young woman called Rhiannon seemed a bit reluctant in doing so, but obliged Will's request, nonetheless. "Jack… Jack Sparrow?"

Jack spread his arms and bowed elegantly to Rhiannon. "The one and only, luv." Upon standing up again, Jack reeled slightly and stumbled back into Joan. Sighing, she helped him to sit down in a wooden chair that had been cast off to the side.

"What happened?" asked Almour, her head popping up from behind a cabinet, making Jack and Joan jump slightly at the sound. Jack opened his mouth to answer, but before another word could be said, Almour's eyes widened and she toppled backwards out of view. The other's exchanged glances. But again, Almour cut off all speech when she came back into view.

She raised the hammer she had been working with to point at Joan. "That pendant! Where did you get that?!"

Joan narrowed her eyes at the other woman suspiciously. "I've had it for a long time… What difference does it make to you?"

"Because it should have been mine," Almour replied flatly from behind clenched teeth.


	6. The Bounty of Zodiac

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Part Six. The Bounty of Zodiac

"Almour? What are you talking about?" Will asked after a moment of disbelief.

"That pendant. A silver pendant in the shape of the crescent moon, traced with the signs of the Greek zodiac!" Almour cried out, advancing on Joan. "That's it! It should have been mine! How did you get it!?"

Will grasped Almour by the shoulder to hold her back. "I want to know what exactly is so important about this pendant."

Jack sprung from his seat in his chair, his eyes growing big at Will's demand. "No! I mean… there's no need for this. After all, we should really be on our way. Isn't that right, Joan?"

Almour pushed Jack back into the chair forcefully, almost causing him to fall backwards. "What do _you_ have to do with this, Sparrow? And I swear on my father's grave, if you lie to me the last thing you'll see of the Black Pearl is her rudder running you down!"

"Almour… stop," Will protested, pulling her away. He cast angry looks at Jack and Almour, frustrated by being left out of what was happening. "Someone better tell me why this is all so important."

"I'll tell you why," Almour stated heatedly.

"Don't you dare!"

"Shut it, Jack!"

Jack receded back into his chair sullenly, mumbling to himself, his dark eyes watching Almour menacingly. Joan remained silent and still, not particularly wishing to keep the pendant's truth as secret as Jack. After all, it was in his best interest that no one knew. Not hers.

"Captain Neil Zodiac was the richest man ever to sail the ocean. Back in the sixteenth century, he stole artifacts, jewels, gold, silver, from all over the world. You name it he had it. He even stole from thieves. His favorite were Egyptian grave robbers. Needless to say, he had a fortune that most men would kill a thousand men for, and then a thousand more.

"Now, Zodiac was sailing back from a raid on the Spanish coast to his harboring point in Mexico. But, as the story goes, the boat was weighed down by all the goods. Now, they may have made it home, that is, if the crew hadn't gotten restless and decided to mutiny against Captain Zodiac."

Jack grunted at this, slouching into his chair. "He ain't got my sympathy."

"Anyway," Almour continued, ignoring Jack's comment. "they got lost. None of the crew could navigate half as well as their captain. From out of nowhere, a hurricane came through, blowing them way off course, demolishing any hope they had of ever reaching any port again. All anyone knows that the ship, and Zodiac's hiding place, is that it's somewhere in the Bermuda Triangle."

"But I don't understand… the pendant…?"

"This is where the legend comes in. The pendant belonged to Captain Zodiac, one of three, that is. It's said to endow the wearer with the knowledge of where the treasure lay."

There was a long silence after Almour finished the tale. Rhiannon, who had remained silent through the whole time, was shaking her head. Drumming her fingers on the butt of her pistol, she simply shook her head thoughtfully.

"It doesn't make sense. Captain Zodiac… one of the richest and most feared pirates in recent memory…"

"I beg your pardon!" Jack started, but shut his mouth just as quickly when Joan kicked him in the shins.

Rhiannon looked at him form the corner of her eye, slightly aggravated, but continued. "Doesn't it seem odd to anyone else that he would just… make it so any pirate could go and claim his treasure?"

"That's not important," Joan stated quickly, stamping out any doubt there might be among the others. "The important thing is, that we could have more money than God if we do this."

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait,……… wait." Jack held up his hands. "Wait. Since when did this become _we_. It's just me, my little friend here, and the Black Pearl, savvy? There is no 'we'."

"What makes you think she's any more entitled to it than me!?" Almour growled. "She stole that pendant! I know she did!"

"Ah, you don't know that," Joan muttered.

"Yes I do! It's been heirloom in my family for a hundred years! It was my father's… It was supposed to come to me!"

"Look, like you said, there're three other pendants out there, you can't tell that this is the _exact_ one that was supposed to come to you," Joan couldn't help but smirk. "You can't prove a damn thing."

"Alright, Joan, we're leaving," Jack said, trying to get up for the second time, and for the second time, Almour pushed him back into the chair. "_Don't push your luck_," Jack said, glaring up at her.

"You're not going anywhere without me," Almour stated stubbornly. "I am rightfully entitled to a _part_ of it. You're taking me with you." She paused to look around at Will and Rhiannon. "And you might as well take them along as well. After all, they know the story now."

Jack groaned, throwing his head back over the edge of the chair, staring up at the ceiling. "Just what I need, more trouble." He sighed then looked back at the other three. "If you can pull your own wait, you can come…"

Rhiannon grinned broadly. "Don't worry… I'm no stranger to the ways of a ship, Mr. Sparrow."

"Well good," Jack replied, keeping his tone even. "And you can begin proving that to me, by addressing me as Captain Sparrow, or sir." Jack half lifted himself out of the chair, then looked up at Almour. "If you push me, lass, it'll be the last thing you do in a long time."

Almour stood aside, allowing Jack to stand up. He turned to everyone else, not feeling as light hearted at all when he first heard he'd be the one to find the Bounty of Zodiac. "The Black Pearl leaves at dawn. Be there, or be left out of history books."

"Yes, sir!" Rhiannon said enthusiastically.

Jack took a moment to survey her from under the brim of his hat. "Yes, sir," he mimicked in a high-pitched voice. "You sure you were a pirate before this?"

Rhiannon's face fell. "W-What do you mean, sir?"

Jack heaved a sigh and walked past them to find a back way out of the blacksmith's shop. He shook his head wearily to himself. "I must be getting soft. So much for my reputation as the ruthless Jack Sparrow," he muttered despairingly.

A few moments later, Rhiannon and Will left, and Joan was about to leave by the same way as Jack, but Almour had different plans. She tackled Joan from behind, pulling her to the ground. Caught of guard, Joan hit the ground with a muffled. "Oof!" Though Almour had not expected the other woman to be stronger. In one quick movement, Joan rolled out from under Almour and pinned her to floor of the room.

"Don't test me!" Joan shouted, holding back the intense urge she had to bite into the young woman's throat and drink all that she could. But she knew if she did, she'd probably lose the opportunity to find the Bounty of Zodiac.

"You stole that pendant from my father! I know you did!" Almour yelled threateningly, in return, not caring that the other woman had the upper hand.

"What are you gonna tell me next, it's not fair that I have it and you don't?" Joan taunted in a mocking manner.

Almour stared up at Joan, her eyes flaring with anger, as if that _was_ what she was going to say.

"Life's not fair, and trust me, I've had a _long_ life," Joan said, sneering at Almour. "Now, it's going to be a long ride to into the Bermuda Triangle. And I think it best you accept what has or hasn't happened." With that, Joan got up and headed towards the door casually.

As soon as Almour was free she jumped up on her feet. "This isn't over, yet!"

Joan paused, her hand on the doorknob, then pulled a smirk on her face, not unlike Jack's. "No, but that's what makes it fun, now isn't it?"


	7. Aboard the Black Pearl

__

Part Seven. Aboard the Black Pearl

"The Bermuda Triangle!? Sir, that's suicide?"

"You don't like suicide missions do, ya'?" Jack laughed a bit, showing his teeth. " 'Fraid you're on the wrong ship. You may as well step off then."

Mr. Gibbs spluttered for words as the Captain crossed the deck away from him. He shook his head to himself, still trying to think of a protest. "It's a dangerous place. I've never known any ship to return from there. Nothing's worth going to the Bermuda Triangle. Nothing!"

Jack casually leaned against the railing on one arm. "Not even the Bounty of Zodiac?"

Mr. Gibbs' mouth fell open. The last comment rendering him more speechless than before. Eventually, he was able to force out a disbelieving laugh. "The Bounty of Zodiac?! And how exactly are we going to find it? Not even the miraculous Captain Jack Sparrow can sail aimlessly through the Bermuda Triangle without _some_ kind of direction."

The Captain turned and pointed up to the helm, where Joan stood conversing with one of the other crewmembers. "She has all the direction we need."

"Jack, I've said it once, I'll say it again. It's bad luck to bring a woman aboard," Mr. Gibbs replied solemnly. 

"We've had a woman aboard for a year now," Jack said. "Anna Maria, remember? Ah, your memory must be slipping with your age, eh?"

"We don't need any extra women on board!" Mr. Gibbs hissed.

Jack held up his callused hand and raised three fingers so as to correct his first mate.

"Three!? Sir, now _that_ is suicide! We'll be lucky if we make it out of the harbor! This is madness!"

He simply smiled and shook his head. "Mr. Gibbs, you fail to remember, but I suppose it is my duty to remind you… _I'm Captain Jack Sparrow_."

Mr. Gibbs sighed heavily, his shoulders sagging. He patted the Captain on the shoulder. "Was nice knowing you, there, Jack."

Jack turned around in time to see Rhiannon and Almour coming up on the ship from the harbor. It had been several hours since the meeting in the blacksmith's shop, and with any luck, they'd be able to leave before dawn. He walked up to greet the two women, smiling to each one in turn. He half turned his body in order to outline the main mast with his hand.

"Ladies, welcome aboard The Black Pearl!" He looked at Rhiannon. "And where is dear William?"

"He's gone to say goodbye to Elizabeth… or something along those lines," Rhiannon replied a bit stiffly, her eyes faltering a bit.

Jack didn't reply right away as he watched her face wearing a sincere expression. "If your heart is for Will … He loves Elizabeth, is all I can tell you. I've seen his devotion to her first hand."

"I suppose you're right…" Rhiannon sighed despairingly. She forced a smile on her lips. "After all, you were there. You should know."

His gaze softened as he looked at her, he was couldn't help but feel sorry for her. "But if I do remember correctly," he started in a lighter tone. "I can't verily say that I wasn't quite sober for the good part of the venture."

She laughed faintly, and smiled half-heartedly. "I suppose that'll have to do for hope."

(~*~)

"Elizabeth! What are you doing!?"

"I'm going back to Port Royal and the life I knew!" Elizabeth snapped, forcing the last of her clothing into a trunk. 

"But… but why?" Will asked, completely exasperated.

Elizabeth slammed the trunk closed with a deafening crack in the air. "I love you, Will. No matter what, I will always love you. But this… this is not the life I want. I want to go back to Port Royal… I want to make something of myself."

Will opened her trunk in response. "Then we'll make it the life you want, but don't cut me out of it. This is going to be the last time I ever deal with pirates. For you, I swear!"

Elizabeth looked back at him, her eyes filling with sorrow. "It's always been the last time. For the past year you've been telling me it's the last time. Will… I don't want to be the one who changes who you are…" She deliberately turned away from him and banged the trunk closed again, hiding the tears that streamed down her face.

Will moved closer to her, making to kiss her tenderly, but she moved away. He watched her try to hide her face from him, making his heart grow all the more heavily. "Elizabeth, whatever it is you want me to be, I'll do it."

She looked back at him, smiling gently, though her eyes were still glistening with unshed tears. "That's not it, Will. And I know you want to make it right… But it just can't be done… Do you understand?"

"No!" Will shouted, feeling frustrated and hurt. Again, he opened the lid to the trunk, still in disbelief of what was happening.

"I'm sorry," she said, her voice softly cracking, kissing his cheek lightly. With that she closed the trunk a final time and locked it. Will winced slightly as the key turned in the lock of the trunk. Elizabeth crossed the room to the door, then looked back at him one last time. "Goodbye, Will Turner."

Long minutes past after Elizabeth left when Will could only stand in place, feeling a mixture of anger, aggravation, disbelief, and (quite presently) pain. He ran his fingers through his hair, pulling on it, trying to cause himself as much pain in the action, as if this would remedy his situation. He closed his eyes and slammed his hand down on the wooden table with a startling _thump_. "Elizabeth," he moaned, in a voice that was barely audible.

(~*~)

"Are you the one that talked Jack into this?"

Joan kept her eyes fixated on the ocean, her palms gripping the railing of the ship. "You must be Anna Maria."

She paused, looking taken aback. "Th-that's right. How'd you know that?"

Joan glanced over her shoulder and smirked faintly, seeing the puzzled look on her face. "I'm not some witch or anything that can read people's minds. Jack told me you were the only female in the crew. It's called deduction."

Anna Maria recovered and regained her steady gaze. "You didn't answer my question."

"You're right," she replied, turning around, leaning back against the railing. "How rude of me. Allow me to answer your question. Yes, I'm the one who _talked_ him into it, but trust me; Mr. Sparrow didn't need much talking to."

"He didn't need much talking to… to get him to go into the Bermuda Triangle?" she replied incredulously.

"That's so naïve of you, Anna Marie."

"Maria."

"Of course," Joan said, clearly not interested whatsoever. "You see, I've promised the Captain of this lovely ship that I can lead him to the biggest treasure anyone could ever dream of. Why am I telling you this? 'Cause personally, I couldn't care less what the crew does or doesn't know. That's Jack's problem, not mine."

"But… why would Jack keep that from us?"

Joan rolled her eyes. "Because it's the biggest treasure anyone can dream of. Were you listening to me at all?"

"I've been listening," Anna Maria said, her arms folded across her chest. "But I don't believe it."

"You think I'm bluffing?"

"I think you're after something else."

Joan tilted her head to the side slightly and grinned. "Now what would give you that idea?"

Anna Maria narrowed her eyes. "What's wrong with your teeth?"

The other woman's smile quickly faded, but she tried not to let her shock reach her eyes. "What do you mean?"

"Two seem to be longer than the others…" she observed skeptically. "And pointed."

Joan's face fell slightly, but she was saved from having to come up with an answer when there came several happy cries from the others on the ship. Will had boarded the ship, looking very sullen and not returning of any of the welcoming greetings. He kept his gaze fixated ahead of him as he moved up to Jack.

"When do we leave?" Will muttered in a surly tone.

"Well, now that you're here, we leave now," Jack said, not taking note of the other man's poor mood. The Captain looked to his crew. "Don't act like ye' didn't hear me! Get yer asses up and get to work! We leave Tortuga now!"

"Good," Will muttered. "The sooner we leave the better." Then he stalked off, hoping not to have to speak to anyone, unfortunately, his one hope didn't come through.

"Will, what's wrong?"

He raised his eyes to find himself looking at Rhiannon. Had it been anyone else, even Almour, he probably would have snapped horribly and said something awful. But when he saw Rhiannon's sincerely concern gaze, he felt his desire to bite off her head melt. He opened his mouth to pour out his heart. How Elizabeth had left with him. And how he didn't understand. He wanted to ask her for a simple answer. Regrettably, it was impossible to say all these things at once.

"Elizabeth… left me," he croaked out, feeling a lump in his throat.

"Oh Will," Rhiannon sighed, taking his hand comfortingly. "I'm so sorry…" And she knew that this was not entirely a lie. She hated to see Will in pain. "I'm sorry," she repeated softly. "Is… is there anything I can do?"

He simply shook his head, then rattled his shoulders as if to shake off the feeling of morose. "No… no, there's nothing you can do."

The young woman opened her mouth partially, hoping to offer some sort of condolence, but he simply walked below deck. Almour walked up and tapped Rhiannon on the shoulder, wearing a look of concern.

"What's wrong with Will?" she asked.

Rhiannon just sighed and looked down at her feet.

"Hey look! It's our old friends from the tavern!" Jack cried out laughingly, as they passed by a ship on their way out of the harbor. Sure enough, three of the men that had chased him into the well. Jack removed his hat and waved to them, grinning quite broadly. " 'Ello there! Did ye' miss me!" 

The Captain threw his head back and laughed seeing the utterly shocked looks on the men. He pointed towards Joan and continued to grin. "Were ye' looking for her!" He continued to wave to them, unable to contain his mirth. His smile changed into a look of disappointment when a gunshot went off and ripped through his hat. Jack closed his middle and index fingers over the hole in the hat. "Ah, well, we had a good run," he said to the hat, as if it were an old acquaintance of his.


	8. Lies and Promises

(~) To anyone who's been reading this: I'm sooooooooooooo sorry for not updating in forever. But maybe for people that have read it and hate it, that's a good thing. But between getting hit with the love san, school, Florida, and God only knows what other madness, it's been hard for me to get off me lazy bum and write this part. So anyway, here it is.

Part Eight. Lies and Promises

"Look at that sunrise, Joan. Isn't it amazing? There's nothing like looking straight ahead and seeing something as amazing as that," Jack said, resting one elbow on the helm.

"Shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers."

Jack looked over his shoulder, his eyes wide as if startled. He looked to where he had sworn Joan had been standing just moments before and was half-surprised to see Mr. Collins' parrot perched on the railing, not far behind the Captain.

"Joan…?" he said in a confused voice. "Parrot, did you eat her?!"

"Polly wanna cracker. Polly wanna cracker."

"Stupid bird," Jack muttered turning back to the helm.

"You looking for that girl with the black coat?" came Mr. Gibbs voice from the main deck.

"Well, yes…."

"She went below deck about a half-hour ago. You've been talking to Mr. Collins' parrot for a long time." Gibbs paused for a moment to chuckle and shake his head. "I've never seen you talk so much to someone. And then someone actually want to listen."

Jack shifted his shoulders. "Well, she's where I'm getting my coordinates from."

Mr. Gibbs stopped to look at Jack, studying the Captain skeptically. "Uh-huh." He continued to watch Jack fidget restlessly. "Er, sir…"

"What?" he snapped stiffly.

"Would you like me to take the helm for a moment… And we'll just assume I don't know why…" Gibbs offered, seeing the agitation in the other man's eyes.

"I'm afraid I don't know why myself," he replied in a light tone.

"Well, don't you want to go find that Joan girl…?"

Jack sighed and averted his eyes. Then after a while he grabbed his hat and stormed off to go below deck. "Well of course I want to find her! No one just walks away from Captain Jack Sparrow!"

(~*~)

Almour crept below deck, careful not to make the slightest noise, using only a faint lighted candle for guidance. She had seen that thief skirt below deck not too long before the sun had begun to rise. Almour had checked any other level and now found herself in the hull looking for her. This Joan was avoiding her, and she knew it. Not once had she left Jack's side, whether out of fear of being confronted by Almour or actually giving the Captain coordinates.

Almour raised the candle over her head to see better when something caught her eye. Yes, it's what she had been looking for! It was the silver pendant. Joan had apparently decided to take a bit of a nap in the hull. She set down the candle, noting the steady swaying of the ship as she kneeled down. Almour was looking at the side of the pendant with the signs of Zodiac on it. She turned it over, and grinned in finding the proof that she needed.

Elegantly engraved on the back of the pendant were the two letters: "A.D" Andrew Dalman, Almour's father. She had to get it back. Almour's hand slowly trailed to the sword at her waist, with the faintest sound of steel she unsheathed it. She was among pirates, they wouldn't care if she killed someone in cold blood. And even if they did, she could say Joan came at her, after all, they'd all seen her cold nature. And if anyone had seen her aggressiveness, Almour wouldn't have been doubted for even a second.

"NO!"

A moment later Almour had been forcefully grabbed her wrist and yanked upwards so as to pull her away from Joan. Almour threw her head back to see who it was that had stopped her. 

"What were you trying to do!?" Jack exclaimed.

Joan had immediately been caused to wake up with a start and instinctively reach for her pistol. "What's going on?" she demanded, upon seeing Almour struggling against Jack's grasp.

"That's mine!" she growled at Joan, freeing one hand to point at the pendant. "You're right, all three pendants would be identical. But not that one. That one has my father's initials on it."

"So what do you want?" Joan asked calmly.

"I want it back…" Almour commanded, her voice as serious as anything. "How did you get it."

Joan paused, down casting her eyes and leaning heavily on a barrel behind her. Her fingernails were digging into the barrel, she was clearly feeling conflicted about something. "I don't know," she said flatly.

Almour's mouth fell open, aghast, her eyes narrowing as she grew angrier. "You're despicable! You are a horrible excuse for a human being!"

"That's enough!" Jack bellowed, spinning Almour around to face him. "Look, I don't have time for this. I can't go and loose my biggest asset because of … pride, or whatever it is you call it! I know you meant to kill her, and if it were anyone else, I wouldn't have had a problem, but I need her!"

A silence fell over the three, and for a long while nothing was said, but Almour could not hold back the infuriated gazes she cast on Jack and Joan. Especially Joan. "This isn't over," she hissed, turning her back and storming away into the darkness.

"Thanks," Joan muttered, finally lowering her pistol, satisfied that Almour had been held off for the time being.

"Don't mention it," he muttered tiredly, his beads falling into his face. Again there was silence as neither bothered to move or speak. Joan eerily clear laugh echoed in the cramped area after a while. 

"You need me, did you say?" 

Jack rolled his eyes, but even she could catch his ears reddening in the dim light. "Please. I don't _need_ any woman. Not in that way."

"Oh no?" Joan stated, crossing her arms and raising her eyebrows.

"Emotionally, no," he said flatly. "Physical's another matter."

She made a disgusted sound in her throat and rolled her eyes in turn.

"If you don't mind my asking…" He stopped short as Joan raised her eyes, a very guarded look behind them. "How did you come by the pendant."

"I told you, I-"

"I know, I know 'You don't know where you got it'…" Jack said sighing in a bored tone, using his hands to further animate his words. "I've met a lot of liars in my day, and that was most definitely a lie."

Joan bit the inside of her lip, and she looked at him seriously, unlike she had looked at anyone in a long time. "You have to believe me when I tell you… He… He was dying when I found him…"

"Who?"

She shifted her feet slightly. "If this belonged to he she said… Well, I killed him, yes. But he was dying. He even asked me to put him out of his misery… I couldn't help but oblige."

"So you really are…"

"I'm a vampire yes… but I'm only telling you straight out because you've seen me feed and there's no use lying to you." She heaved a heavy sigh. "And as much as I hate it, I have to trust that you won't tell anyone."

Jack smirked, his golden teeth glinting even in the faint light. "Don't worry luv, on my word as Jack Sparrow, I swear I will not tell a living soul."

Joan just cast her eyes to the side. "Could you be any more egotistical. 'On my word as Jack Sparrow!'" She mimicked in a dim-witted voice.

"You don't want to get on my bad side," Jack said calmly. "I _don't_ have to help you."

"You will," she said softly, but not as a command. As if it were just a plain and simple fact.

Jack blinked, looking around him in the darkness, then back to Joan who appeared to be almost serene. "Is this some sort of mind trick."

"No tricks, Jack," she replied softly. "I'm telling you, you can't do this without me."

The Captain felt his heart rate quicken. "A threat then, some kind of threat!"

The Vampire only shook her head, her stray strands of her golden hair falling into her face. "No, Jack. Not a threat." She looked up at him. "I've seen those looks before. And it always ends in heartache."

"I don't know what you're talking about," he muttered, turning away from her and finding his way to the stairs that led above deck. 

Joan simply shrugged, though she was all alone, and sat down on one of barrels, looking at the pure silver pendant that she held between her thumb and forefinger. 

(~*~)

When Jack emerged onto the main deck the Caribbean sun was already beating down upon the crew that bustled about hurriedly. He shoved his hands into his pockets, trying to look casual as he strolled across the deck, looking as though nothing happened. Almour narrowed her eyes as he passed by, gripping the railing till her knuckles turned white.

"Almour what's wrong?" Rhiannon asked as she came alongside the other woman.

Almour looked towards her, her own eyes flaring with anger, but she had to make herself remember that Rhiannon wasn't on anyone's side. "He's on her side!" she hissed, barely able to keep her voice down.

"The pendant?"

Almour nodded stiffly, looking into the deep, blue sea, wishing that it would swallow her up. "I can't get it from her… Not with Jack on her side." Here she turned her gaze towards the Captain who had taken his place at the helm again. "I don't know what's wrong with him! He's treacherous, filthy scum that should never have been given the opportunity to walk the earth!" she spat.

"Well… he is a pirate," Rhiannon replied, a bit too jokingly for Almour's liking. "Look, if the pendant is yours, just wait for the moment when nothing could possibly go wrong… Wait for the opportune moment."

Jack stood over the helm trying to look casual as his eyes darted around, trying to find Will. He spotted him in the rigging, his elbows hooked in as he gazed out over the sea so that he wouldn't fall. 

"Will!" he hissed, trying to keep his voice low, but he didn't seem to hear the pirate. "Will… Will!" He grunted, then cupped his hands over his mouth. "**_WILLIAM TURNER!!!!_**"

Will nearly fell out of the rigging when he finally heard Jack bellowing his name. "What!?"

"Get down here!" Jack snarled, feeling very ill-tempered at the time.

The blacksmith climbed down from his place and shuffled over to where Jack stood at the helm. "What is it?"

"That Joan is giving me a hard time… I can't figure her out!" 

Will grinned. "You're having… women problems?"

"No, that's not the issue," he replied, feeling irritated. He was trying to figure out how he could put the words and not break the promise he had made to Joan. "I can't seem to figure her out is all."

"Why do you need to figure her out?" Will asked with a shrug.

"She could kill me, for one," said Jack truthfully.

"I suppose that's a good reason… But anyone could want to kill you?"

"Yeah, well, women are harder for me to figure out…" He lowered his voice, looking seriously at Will. "This may surprise you, but I'm not that great with women aside from getting them in the sack."

Will slapped the side of his face in mock surprise. "You're _kidding_, why Jack Sparrow, I had _no _idea!"

"I know, it's shocking," Jack replied, thinking that Will was being serious. "But tell me, Will, what is it? How do I find out what's really going on in her head."

"Jack, the only way you can ever find out what's going is being plain and honest with her… You remember the meaning of the word honest, don't you?" He ignored the pirates glare. "Even then, you may not be getting the whole story. They don't like revealing something they don't want to."

"Eh… you sure have an interesting method," the Captain muttered. He sighed, turning the helm and looking away from his friend.

"Is… that it?" Will asked, his voice a little unsure.

"Why wouldn't it be?"

Will just shrugged. "It's just… normally when someone wanted to kill you, you couldn't give less of a damn."

"Well this is different."

"How?"

"I can't tell you."

"Why?"

"I just can't."

The blacksmith grinned broadly. "I think I know why."

Jack's heart skipped a beat. "You… You do?"

The other man nodded, and swayed childishly. "Jack's in looooooovve."

"That's the last thing I'll ever be!" he snarled, turning suddenly on Will. "Women mean one thing to me, and that ain't it! Besides, what do you know about love? How'd it go with Elizabeth last night?"

Will's face fell. "That's none of your business," he stated softly, walking towards the main deck.

"Bet you she didn't like the idea of you running off again on _pirate_ business."

"Go to hell, Jack!" Will hollered over his shoulder.

The pirate just grinned widely. "Don't worry friend, I'm halfway there."


	9. Entering the Triangle

(~) Okay… been a little obsessed with the song "Forever December" by Tabitha's Secret lately so… heavy influence on this chapter. Yeah…

Part Nine. Entering The Triangle

A week or so had passed since Joan and Almour's confrontation, and those who knew the Pearl's supposed destination were beginning to feel doubtful. Everyone but Jack, of course, who never really felt any doubt about anything anyway. The weather had, however, taken a turn for the worse. Late in the afternoon, black clouds would gather in the sky and torrential winds and rain would toss the ship mercilessly through the ocean. The Black Pearl currently caught in one of those storms.

Will was racing across the deck, desperately trying to do his part to steady the ship through the raging waters. The mast made a horrible creaking sound that made his stomach churn at the thought of what could happen.

"JACK!" he screamed, but his voice was drowned out by a crash of thunder. He ran halfway to where Jack stood battling the helm and cupped his hands over his mouth. "JACK!" Finally he had caught the Captain's attention. "WE NEED TO LOWER THE SAILS!!!"

Jack shook his head, his braids and beads flying in his face from the wind. "NO!"

"WE'LL BE DISMASTED!!!" Will shouted. There was another creaking sound, and he could see that even Jack was wincing now.

"ALRIGHT! LOWER THE SAILS!!!" the Captain bellowed as loud as he could. Will ran back to the rest of the crew, carrying on the order.

Rhiannon dashed along the slippery floorboards, her shoes making her fumble as she tried to move at top speed. Suddenly she came in contact with something that had been jutting out of the deck and fell face first onto the deck. Rhiannon groaned as she turned herself over, still lying on her back, her face being thrashed at by the driving rain.

_"Rhiannon?"_

"Who is it?"

_"Rhiannon, don't do this…"_

She groaned. She must have really hit her head hard.

_"Don't meddle in this, Rhiannon. You have too much to lose."_

"Argh! Stop hearing things that aren't there!" Rhiannon shouted to herself, still feeling too much pain in her head right then and there to move. But her heart skipped a bit when she felt someone brush lightly against her cheek, then everything went black.

Joan slowly walked the steps that led to the main deck.. There was another storm battering the Pearl, this was in a sense a good thing for her, for this usually meant that she could be above deck earlier than usual had the sun been out. This storm sounded particularly severe, perhaps someone would be deathly injured. That's all she could think about lately. Joan had begun feeling weaker and weaker by the day. She was very anxious to feed, but there wasn't much opportunity. 

Just about as she was going to emerge into the tempest, a bloodcurdling scream went up, followed by a cry of: "HOLY SHIT! SOMEONE GET HIM BELOW DECK!" Joan grinned, pressing herself into the shadows as two of the crew members rushed by, the arms of a limp figure across their shoulders. Moving almost silently, the Vampire followed the men to the mess hall below where they laid the man on one of the tables. 

Joan stepped into the light of the room, careful to hide her immense mirth with a mask of concern. "What happened?" she asked, putting on the best act she could.

One of them looked over their shoulder at her. "He fell from the rigging…"

"That's terrible!" Joan cried melodramatically, luckily, they didn't seem to notice her phony nature.

"Listen… would you mind looking after him? We really can't be down here long."

"Of course, of course," she replied, nodding her head a bit too many times. The two crew members rushed out of the room, leaving the unconscious form behind. Joan came closer to the table, like a shark honing in on its prey. She took a moment to look over him, she had seen him once or twice on the main deck in the latter hours of the night. _A fall from the rigging?_ she thought vaguely to herself. _He hasn't got a chance._

The young man's eyes snapped open suddenly and gasped harshly for breath. He looked at Joan, pain in his eyes as he tried to form words. "I'm… I'm dying… aren't I?" She nodded in reply, he groaned and closed his eyes. "I don't want to die… Oh God, please…"

Something unexpected happened as she watched him try to cling onto life. "I can make it end… I can end the pain…"

"What do you mean?"

"I can make it all stop… You'll never feel pain again…"

"Please," he said, looking up at her. 

Joan leaned down and kissed the back of his hand, taking it gently in hers. She tilted his chin back and pushed his hair away. "I'm sorry," she murmured softly, then bit into his throat, unable to make the deed seem less savage. Her fangs sunk into his throat and she couldn't help but feel something like an electric tremor of excitement race through her body at finally being able to feed again. Slowly she drew more and more blood from him, not taking time for a breath. It was like a continuous chain. His grip on her hand began to fail and his breaths were slowing with every passing minute. When she was done, she gently laid his head back against the table, but she didn't feel like she usually did after feeding. She felt shame.

"Thank you…" he whispered, barely audible. His hand fell away from hers as his eyes closed for the last time.

Joan licked the blood on her lips away remorsefully. She had been taking human life for so many years, and it had never been right, and she hated that she had never regretted it until now. She buried her face in her hands, feeling tears stain her skin.

"Joan?"

She lifted her head suddenly at the sound of her name, the crimson trails on her cheeks. It was Jack, standing in the doorway of the mess hall, his eyes wide in shock and his hair drenched from the rain. Slowly he came towards her, his mouth flailing wordlessly.

"What did you do…?"

"I… I… I don't know," she gasped, slumping to the ground miserably. "He was dying… He couldn't take the pain… I tried to help…"

"So you killed him?" Jack asked in disbelief.

"I…yes…" 

"Joan… you killed a member of my crew… For no good reason," he said sternly, rounding on her.

"He was dying! What else could I do!?"

"I don't think your grasping the matter… He's dead because of you!" he shouted.

"Don't yell at me, Jack Sparrow!" she yelled, the tears of blood coming from her eyes again. "He was going to die anyway, I did him a favor!"  
"And what favor was that!"

"I stopped the pain for him!" Joan retorted, the hurt in her voice growing. Her shoulders sagged as she surveyed him morosely. "You could never understand… You kill for the hell of it… But I kill to literally survive. I don't like it, Jack! I hate it! I'd change it if I could… But I can't! "

He fell silent, watching her try and hide her face from him. He glanced at the still form that had been a crew member on the Pearl. Now what? Now nothing. Jack kneeled down where she was slouched on the floor, but he was in no means sympathetic.

"Give me one good reason to keep your secret any longer…"

Joan looked back him, as if she couldn't believe her ears. "Because I didn't choose to be what I am…" She stifled another sob. "It wasn't my choice," she whispered hoarsely.

"That's one rotten excuse," he snarled.

On sudden impulse, Joan reached out and ripped one of the shells from Jack's hair in her sudden anger. He growled in pain, a large clump of his hair now missing. She tapped her fingernails on it smugly. 

"You'll keep it because I'll kill you if you don't."

Jack lunged at her, snarling like an animal. He pinned her arms down with his knees and wrapped his fingers around her throat, doing all that he could to throttle her. She tried to push Jack off of her, but he was stronger than Almour or just about anyone else. She coughed trying to get air in and at the same time get him off with her leg. Freeing one arm she smashed her hand into his face, making him loose his grip on her as he tried to pry her off. Thinking quickly, Joan used her knee to shove Jack in the stomach and moved out from under him, and drawing her pistol.

"Don't make me do this, Jack!" she croaked out. 

Jack didn't say anything in return. He didn't really know what he could say to her at this point. "Joan… I…"

She stared at him, her face had been so simply placid for so long that she felt like a wall crumbling to the ground. "What is it…?"

He sighed helplessly, watching her. The ship rocked suddenly and violently causing her to misstep her feet and hit the floorboards, but did not lose her grip on the pistol. Joan lowered her head sullenly, hiding her face. Jack walked over to her, still wary of the fact that she likely to shoot him. _Are all women this crazy?_

"What's going on with you?" he asked softly. 

"I can't go on like this…" she muttered miserably. "I've done nothing but cause death and … death. I want it to end…"

"Then end it…"

"It's not that easy… If I did I'd … die."

Jack stared at her, deeply confused for several minutes. "Then isn't it… what's more important to you…?"

"I don't know," she sighed, "It used to be I had nothing to live for… but now…"

"Now what?"

Joan hesitated. "You must think that I'm weak…" she said softly.

Now if Will had told him anything in the past about women that it was careful to figure out when you lied and when you told the truth. If he said "Yes," he would be telling the truth, that's what he thought. If he said "No," he would be lying, but she'd know that. Maybe something vague and in between? It was the best bet he could make at the moment.

"I think… you're confused…"

She looked at him for the first time, her emerald-like eyes flashing. "I'm confused, am I?"

"I dunno, I'm not your psychologist!" Jack shouted a bit too loudly. 

"You're no help."

Jack lowered himself down on one knee. Why was he so concerned about her? He shouldn't be. But he was. He gently wiped away one of the new crimson tears that was slowly trailing below her eye.

"Dry your eyes. You'll figure something out…"

She raised her gaze to look at him. She had never cared much for anyone, more prominently, no one had even remotely cared for her. Not like the authentic nature Jack had. Everything was beginning to feel steadily more and more toiled up inside her. "Jack…"

"You'll figure it out," he reassured her, feeling enraptured by her emerald gaze.

"Captain Sparrow! Captain Sparrow! Jaaaack!"

Jack snapped out of his trance like state of mind almost like a reflex as Mr. Gibbs came skidding into view. "What is it?"

"It's… I… Well… You better see it for yourself, sir."

Jack stood up to his full height, and nodded. "Very good, Gibbs. I'll be up in a moment."

In Gibbs' flustered entrance he hadn't noticed the body of the young crewmember. He looked at it a bit sourly then back to Jack. "What…"

"He's dead," Jack said solemnly. "We'll tend to the body later." Gibbs nodded dumbly, waiting for Jack to go on further. He rolled his dark eyes. "Well, go on. I'll follow you up."

"Yes, sir." Then he darted out of view.

"Listen… we'll talk later… Just… don't kill anyone else, savvy?"

"Savvy," she agreed subconsciously - for it was a word she probably wouldn't have used under another circumstance.

Jack emerged onto the main deck into what he expected. A fog. Storms plus warm weather always equaled storms. "What in the name of…" He trailed off when he saw the rest of the crew all standing by the port side of the ship, gazing off at something the Captain couldn't see from where he was standing. He walked up alongside Gibbs and Will, his dark eyes widening at the sight.

"That's interesting."

In the fog there was the unmistakable scene of at least a dozen ships sailing like a leaf on the wind, but they looked like mere silhouettes of what they had been in their glory days. Wispy, pallid silhouettes of ships that had been in years past. There were murmurs fleeting up among the crew now. 

"Alright!" Jack shouted, getting the rest of the crews attention. "As the Captain of this little dingy, I might like to remind you -because God only knows what's happened to your brains in the last year- you've all at one point come in contact with the undead or some supernatural thing-a-ma-jig. And we are in fact, entering the Bermuda Triangle and I think these sights will be a little more often, so, try to keep your trousers clean, lads."

With that Jack stalked off to the other side of the ship, trying to ignore the murmurs that continued to rise from the rest of the crew. Anna Maria who had been standing at the helm grinned as she looked at him.

"Stirring speech, Captain."

"Glad you thought so, you know how important feedback is to me," he replied sarcastically.

(~*~)

"Nasty fall?"

Rhiannon's eyes opened slowly at the sound of a familiar voice. It was still dark and she couldn't quite put things into focus yet. She felt a strong, callused hand grab her wrist and help her to her feet. It was Will. Rhiannon was still feeling rather dizzy, but did what she could to keep her balance.

"Are you alright?" he asked, tenderly placing his fingertips at her temples. "You must have hit your head pretty hard."

"Hmm? Ah, yeah. Hit my head… Um. Ouch."

Will laugh. It was the first happy emotion she had seen earnestly displayed since they had left Tortuga. She hadn't spoken to Will about what had happened between him and Elizabeth, but now felt like as good a time as any. 

"Will… you and Elizabeth…" She sensed him grow tense, but she continued. "You can talk to me about it."

Will clenched his fists, wanting to pummel something to let his anger out on. "She never loved me. I know it!" he cried bitterly. "She doesn't like who I am all of a sudden. She's been living a lie. She turned me away for no good reason! None at all! If she really loved me, she wouldn't have done this! She wouldn't have put me through this! She would care that she was putting me through this pain…" He trailed off to look meaningfully at Rhiannon, his gaze full of hurt and despair. "She doesn't care, does she?"

"Will… I can't speak for Elizabeth…" Rhiannon said, a bit shocked at being put on the spot so suddenly. Will's shoulder's sagged, it broke Rhiannon's heart. Slowly she wrapped her arms around him comfortingly, resting her head on his shoulder. "She was wrong…"

Much to Rhiannon's surprise, he returned the embrace tightly. He ran his fingers through her hair fondly, feeling like the weight of the world had been taken off his shoulders. Several minutes had passed, but Will didn't want to let her go. It was as if he let her go, the sky would come crashing down.

"This feels right," he whispered.


	10. Zodiac's Burden

__

So, so, so, so, so, so, so, soooooooooooooooooooooo sorry it took forever to put up. Just between school and all that jazz (plus a slight case of writer's block) it hasn't been as easy as it was over the summer. Ah, well. Here it is.

Part Ten. Zodiac's Burden

Rhiannon broke out of his embrace suddenly. She turned away from him, staring intensely at the wispy ships that were beginning to fade, trying to pretend that Will didn't stand just behind her. She rubbed her fore arms to try and generate warmth, but couldn't quite seem to keep the chill off her. She could feel Will gently touch her shoulder, it made her shudder as if she had been insulted.

"Rhiannon…? Did you hear what I said…?"

"Yes," she murmured as if in a daze. "I was wondering if you did."

"Rhiannon, what are you talking about?" 

"You love Elizabeth…"

Will turned Rhiannon around to face him, looking back into her eyes. "I…"

"Do you know what you want, Will?"

"Yes."

"Then you're a liar."

"I want you…" he replied earnestly, reaching out for her hand, but she pulled away. He watched her, confused. "Rhiannon… what's wrong?"

"You don't know what you want!" she cried in a frustrated tone. "You're … you're not over Elizabeth yet, that's it!"

He only shook his head solemnly. "I'm sorry but that's not it," he murmured coming closer than he already was. "I didn't see it all this time because of Elizabeth and I'm sorry for it… But I want to start over again…" He leaned in to kiss her, but she drew away.

"Will… I'm not going to let you use me because Elizabeth hurt you!" Rhiannon said, trying to keep from shouting.

He reached out for her hand and grasped it firmly. He softly kissed her lips, but she wouldn't kiss him back. "I don't want to hurt you…. I couldn't hurt you."

From what she could tell, Will sounded sincere. But she had had a crush on him ever since she was little, and now that her dreams were coming true, she could only think about herself. She was afraid of being used. Maybe she was just being cautious, it was very probable she was being selfish. It was impossible for the young woman to sort out her feelings at that exact moment, not with Will's presence intoxicating her.

"I… think I should be by myself for a while," she whispered softly, then walked away before Will had time to protest. Rhiannon stalked below deck, bowing her head so as to avoid having contact with anyone. She moved to the bowels of the ship where she assumed she'd be alone.

"Hey! What're you doing down here!"

At the sound of another voice, Rhiannon missed a step and fell the rest of the way down into the pitch dark. She looked around in the dark for the voice and sighed as a familiar figure stepped into the very dim light that was let in by the stairway.

"I'm sorry," Rhiannon murmured, getting to her feet. "I didn't mean to intrude."

Joan watched her get up and shook her head. "No, it's alright… But you didn't answer my question. What are you doing down here?"

"Oh, I just needed a place to think," she replied, trying to come out from under Joan's gaze, but it wasn't easy.

"Do you want to talk about it?" the other woman asked.

Rhiannon half-laughed at the suggestion, but then realized that she had been serious. It was a novel situation. Joan, who was normally so cold, wanted to _talk_ with her. As if she was concerned. "Um, that's alright."

Joan shifted her feet uncomfortably. "Well, I was wondering if I could talk to you…"

"What about…?" Rhiannon questioned cautiously.

"About… well… it's about Jack."

"What about Jack…?"

"Well… I've been feeling… different lately…" Joan started slowly, she sounded sickening in her own ears, but couldn't quite find any other words.

"How?"

The Vampire groaned. This girl was asking too many questions and not giving her any answers. Joan ran a frustrated hand through her golden hair that had long since come loose of its braid. "I don't know… I guess I … care."

Rhiannon smiled vaguely. "You… um… care for Jack?"

"Yes. Are you happy now?!" Joan snapped sharply.

"Yes. I mean… No.. I mean.. uh…" Rhiannon flailed over her words hopelessly. "So what is it…? Are you afraid he won't … care for you as well?"

"Something like that…" she murmured softly. "Actually… yes… I suppose that _is_ it." Joan sighed, feeling her defenses plummet downwards with every word she spoke to the other woman.

"Well, Jack may be a pirate, but he's not your average pirate… Did you ever think of talking to him face to face about it? You know, tell him what you're feeling." she offered.

(~*~)

"For the love of God, never tell her how you're really feeling!"

Jack stared at Will, his mouth slightly open. "I don't know that that fixes my problem…"

"They say they want to know how you feel… but when you tell them… they shut you down!" Will slumped forward onto the railing, twisting the neck of a bottle between his fingers.

"Will, I really need your help. Sure, I've been with women before… but… this time it's different. And I just don't see why… Hey! Is that my rum!?"

Will threw his head back, drinking profusely from the rum bottle. He looked back at the Captain, slightly cross eyed. "Well who's else would it be?"

"Will… I've … never seen you like this…" Jack murmured, watching as the other man took another deep drink, then reeled where he was standing. "To tell you the truth, drunk Will is far more entertaining than sober Will."

"All these years… I had totally forgotten about her… I didn't realize how much I … uh… what's the word…?"

There were a couple of moments of silence that passed between the two men. "Love?" Jack offered after a while. 

"Thatstheword!" the young blacksmith cried, as he collapsed into Jack's shoulder. Jack's eyes went wide from shock as he lowered his friend to the ground. Will hadn't bothered to fall back from the pirate's shoulder, and was now giggling quite merrily as rum sloshed onto his hand. Suddenly he gasped as he looked up at Jack. "You have very pretty eyes!"

"Ah, bloody hell!" Jack exclaimed, disgusted, as he pulled away from Will and letting him hit the deck, causing more rum to hit the deck. The Captain flinched at the sight of more of his precious rum going to an awful waste. He half considered licking it up off the deck, but then he'd get splinters in his tongue, he didn't much like that idea. "I really need your help, Will! I don't know what I should do about her!" 

Will was still giggling quite happily. "Or do you just want to _do_ her?" 

"Get your mind out of the gutter!" Jack snarled defensively. Though in truth, Will hadn't been _entirely_ wrong. But he didn't want Will to know that. "Are you gonna help me or not?"

"Da, da, da, da, da, daaa… And really bad eggs," Will sighed, singing softly to the floorboards of the main deck. 

"You're no good to me drunk," Jack muttered, completely exasperated. He half turned to leave Will to serenading the deck, then remembered something. "I'll be taking my rum back, savvy?"

"Yo, ho, ho, ho, a pirates life for me!" 

"I'll just assume that's a yes," Jack grumbled, as he snatched the rum bottle away from Will and took a drink himself. He grinned, his golden teeth glinting in the moonlight. "Ah, rum, my old friend. You'll help me sort out my problems… Of course you will!"

(~*~)

Rhiannon stepped onto the main deck. Her conversation with Joan had made her come to some more comforting conclusions. If this woman was knowingly willing to put her heart to someone as… unpredictable as Jack, surely Rhiannon could risk the heart ache for Will. _Heart ache like no one's ever known…_ she thought ruefully. The wind picked up and blew against Rhiannon's skin. That wind had been unusually cold for a Caribbean night. And why was the main deck so quiet?

_"Rhiannon…"_

The young woman's heart skipped a beat. It was the same eerie voice she had heard earlier. "I'm hearing things," she murmured to herself as she walked briskly to the bough, hoping to clear her head. "I'm just hearing things," she repeated. 

_"Rhiannon, stop lying to yourself."_

She let out a short yelp as she looked up to see a man she had never seen before standing in front of her. He smiled. His smile seemed far too friendly for comfort. "Who are you?" she demanded, but her voice sounded strained in her ears.

_"I just want to stop you from going along with this…"_

"Along with what?" she demanded, feeling a little more confident.

_"Alright, Rhiannon, I won't lie to you. You seem like a perfectly nice girl, and I just don't want to see your life ripped by the seams."_

She remained silent for quite a while. There was something about this man… the eerie way in which his voice rippled in her ears, and the way his clothing and hair appeared completely unmoved by even the slightest wind, while Rhiannon's own hair and clothing rippled at the slightest breeze. 

"Who are you? What are you talking about?" she inquired cautiously, her hand going slowly to her pistol.

_"That'll do you no good,"_ the man rippled softly, his dark eyes watching her emotionlessly. _"My name is Neil Zodiac. No doubt the name is familiar to you."_

Rhiannon felt a shiver run down her spine and the hairs prickle on the back of your neck. "I… I don't believe it."

_"First mistake, missy," _he said, holding up a long, skeletal finger. _"Never disbelieve your own eyes. It'll get you killed." _

"If you're really… what are you doing here?" she asked breathlessly.

_"In life, I was a pirate. I did a lot of awful things. I stole a lot of things. But when I started picking of grave robbers near the coast of Egypt… Big mistake. Everything in Egypt has a damned curse or something on it. You might want to tell your friend Mr. Sparrow to turn the Pearl around…"_

"What… what's so bad?" Rhiannon breathed, still disbelieving. 

_"If you use any of the Egyptian gold, and it doesn't matter for what, it'll always find a way to work against you." _

"But…"

_"Laying even one finger any of the gold could be catastrophic! Rhiannon… I wasn't a good man in life, I wasn't even a half-decent man. But I'm hoping that I can set my wrongs right in the afterlife and maybe I won't have to spend eternity in limbo…" _He paused as if to take a deep breath to look at her. _"Do you understand? You have to d this."_ She nodded. _"Good. Don't mess this up." _

"Rhiannon?"

She whipped around suddenly to see Will coming up on the bough. He was swaying dangerously on his feet which made Rhiannon reach the only conclusion she could: Will had tried to sort things out with the help of Jack. She looked around to question Zodiac further, but she found that he had disappeared. Sighing, she turned back to Will.

"Rhiannon… that's you right?" Will muttered, his eyes half open.

"Aye Will, it's me."

The young man smiled wrapping his arms around his old friend and resting his head on her shoulder tiredly. "Ah, Rhiannon… what a fool I was not to know how I felt… You were just gone for so long… But… I see it now…"

Rhiannon just sighed and shook her head. "First you were confused, Will. Now you're just drunk."

__


	11. Author's Note: I'm Sorry

__

To all who have presently been reading "Enigma On The Horizon" I'm afraid I must express my sincerest apologies. And I am NOT kidding. I have been hit with majoooooooooooor writer's block as far as this story goes. I don't know what happened. But it's not pretty. And since I don't want to force it, I am simply must put it on hiatus until I can at least start figuring out how to keep it from lagging and the writing consistent. I am sorry. Especially to the people have reviewed it. You have nooooooooo idea how much they mean to me. A thousand thanks, and then a thousand million more. Perhaps it's… I don't know. I have been writing my LOTR fics a bit better, maybe it's the anticipation of ROTK and the extended TTT, I don't know. Again, I'm sorry but I don't want to have to force it.


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